Ride Guide- May 2021
This monthly newsletter below will contain details needed leading up to the 2021 Tour des Trees. We are grateful to you for joining us.
Back in the Saddle!

We are so excited to be able to be together again for the Tour des Trees! The experience of riding together has been sorely missed in the last year, but we are grateful for the opportunity to see each other again and, for those that still might not be able to make the ride, are grateful for the new and now common technology that will bring us together from all over the world.

While we are planning all the stops and details for this year’s ride in Colorado, you need to make sure you have done the following:

  1. Register! - You must register by June 25
  2. Create your fundraising page and fundraise! - Fundraising minimums must be met by October 31
  3. Order your jersey - Orders must be completed by June 28
  4. Email photo of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card - Please send to Jonathan by August 16
  5. Make your travel arrangements! - See our Participant Resources page for details

Can't make the ride this year? Register for the Virtual Tour des Trees. Get fit, raise funds, and be qualified for prizes. The Virtual Tour des Trees is free to participate.
A Note From Paul:

It is hard to put into words just what a return to the Tour will mean, as we reemerge from this pandemic, and lives that have been disrupted for over a year. We were forced to postpone the 2020 Tour des Trees, and after an uninterrupted twenty eight years, it was a very difficult decision to make. But we have finally cleared all of the hurdles that will allow us to host a live Tour this year, and we couldn’t be more excited! We fully understand the challenges this late announcement places on our Tour family, but we stand ready to do everything we can to assist you and ensure everyone has a successful 2021 Tour des Trees.

The Tour des Trees has meant so much to so many over the years, and the idea of reuniting with our TREE Family has given all of us a renewed sense of purpose. Everyone feels that after this long challenging year, where there was no “normal”, that maybe a new “normal” is on the horizon. But I hope that this new normal, brings with it, a renewed appreciation for the value of time spent with the ones you love, doing the things you most enjoy and supporting the causes that truly resonate with you!

Ok so now on to introducing the 2021 Tour des Trees! First, I would point you to the TREE Fund Tour des Trees website, it is packed with valuable information regarding this years event. It is frequently being updated, so be sure to check in often to stay current with our planning. In particular, I would suggest that you become very familiar with the Participant Resources and the General Information & FAQ’s pages. The answers to most of your questions can be found on these two pages. 

While this Tour has considerably less mileage than any of the previous 28 versions, for those of you who participated on the 2016 Carolina Loop, it will have almost as much climbing in just a little over half the distance of that Tour. In addition to the amount climbing on this years TdT, there is the issue of climbing to over 9,000 feet on the first two days. So yes, there will be plenty of challenges, but those challenges will offer you the opportunity to 1. test yourself and 2. leverage those challenges as a fundraising tool!

The 2021 Tour des Trees will be characterized by the incredible host venues and three big climbs in Colorado’s Front Range. The three Hors catégorie (HC) climbs are, Day 1’s Golden Gate Canyon, Day 2’s Lefthand Canyon and Day 4’s Rist Canyon. Below is a brief breakdown of each of the days rides. 

Day 1 - Aurora to Boulder via Golden (78 miles and 5,900+ ft of climbing, cresting out at 9,250 ft) This will be a difficult introduction to the 2021 Tour and Colorado's Front Range. After some 30 miles rolling along bike trails from Aurora to Golden, we tackle the Golden Gate Canyon Climb. This 17.4 mile 4,250 ft ascent is a series of three climbs with a couple short descents along the way to offer a bit of respite. After the big climb we will work our way down to Boulder, descending over 4,700 ft in 29 miles.

Day 2 - Boulder to Estes Park (45 miles and 6,600+ ft of climbing, cresting out at 9,200 ft) This short but very hard day has us climbing pretty quickly after we depart Boulder. We first tackle Old Stage Rd before turning onto Lefthand Canyon, these are classic climbs, and are the training grounds for the many professional cyclists that call Boulder home. The Lefthand Canyon Climb, climbs for over 14 miles and gains over 3,400 ft of elevation. While there is some descending afterwards it is a deceptively difficult run in to Estes Park. This 22 mile stretch to our home for the evening has over 2,300 ft of elevation loss but also 2,100 ft of elevation gain.

Day 3 - Estes Park to Fort Collins (64 miles and 3,200 ft of climbing). While 3,200 ft of climbing is not an “easy” day, we are actually working our way down to Fort Collins through beautiful canyons with over 7,200 ft of elevation loss. The biggest challenge of the day comes as we navigate our way around the Horsetooth Reservoir, here we’ll tackle several short but steep climbs before dropping into Fort Collins.

Day 4 - Fort Collins to Boulder (85 miles and 5,300+ ft of climbing). This is the longest day of the Tour, and includes our final HC climb. We begin climbing shortly after rolling out of Fort Collins, tackling the classic Rist Canyon Climb early into the ride. This 11 mile ascent, climbs over 2,900 feet and steepens as it crests at almost 8,000 ft. After the Rist Canyon Climb at mile 19.5, we descend over 3,600 ft in 26 miles to lunch before a mostly flat run in to Boulder.

Day 5 - Boulder to Aurora (62 miles and less than 2,900 ft of climbing). I’ve included the iconic Morgul Bismarck course in today's ride which was once used in the famed Red Zinger and Coors Classic Races of days gone by. After this challenging loop we spend most of the afternoon working our way back to Aurora on bike route US 36.

Feel free to reach out with any logistics or route questions you may have.

Ride On!

Paul Wood
Quick Links!

Everything you need, all in one place.


Important Dates!

  • Registration Deadlines: June 25
  • Jersey Order Due: June 28
  • COVID Card Submission Deadline: Aug. 16
  • Ride Check-In and Orientation: Aug. 28
  • Ride Dates: Aug. 29 - Sept. 2
  • Closing Breakfast and Bike Shipping: Sept. 3
  • Fundraising Timeline: Now - October 31
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This email has been sent to all current and some previous registrants of the Tour des Trees. It is not a confirmation of event registration.

Contact info:
Jonathan Cain
Community Engagement Manager

TREE Fund
552 S. Washington Street, Suite 109
Naperville, IL 60540

Paul Wood
Tour Director